Sunday, December 4, 2016

The day
following the election of Donald Trump all eyes were on the stock market, which
was predicted to plunge to near Great Depression era levels by most of the same
people who predicted that Hillary Clinton would win.

In fact, as
of this writing, the stock market has hit record highs, to the relief of those
of us who realized that with interest rates kept artificially low over the last
ten years or so, the stock market was really the best, if not the only, game in
town.

Friday, November 18, 2016

I
have nothing against honesty. All things
being equal, it is usually the best policy.

But
when someone says, “May I be completely honest with you?” do both of you a
favor and say politely, “No, thank you,” because what follows will probably be
rudeness masquerading as honesty. In
fact, the mask of honesty is worn by a whole host of miscreants these days, the
most insidious of whom are those who have deluded themselves into thinking
they’re actually doing or saying this or that “for your own good.”

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Tempers may
still be hot following an incredibly contentious election season, but the
weather has cooled down considerably. It’s
time to pull out those warm, woolly sweaters neatly folded away in your dresser
drawer.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Dinner at Gabriel's Restaurant off Columbus Circle in ManhattanCousin Hélène is on my left and her two children, Juliette and Augustin, are on my right.

Family
visiting from France, dinners with friends, operas, exhibits, writing an
article for a local magazine and, in general, lots of running hither, thither and
yon.I never quite know where you
actually end up after running “hither, thither and yon” (I suspect back where
you started), but my British Grandmum used to say it, and I always loved the
sound of it.And, as Mme Mère used to
say, tout cela pour dire (all of which
means) that I’m a bit tired, so I’ve handed my Blog over to a very special Guest
Blogger today.

Monday, October 17, 2016

I have a
special treat for you today – an interview with a young American in Paris.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

In an era
in which most young American women don’t even own a dress or a pair of high
heels, a Kansan transplantto Paris has
given me some much-needed hope. Let’s
just say that the future of style and class is in very capable, tiny
hands.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

In Part I we were back in our seats in the Grand Tier as the curtain went up on our new
season at the Metropolitan Opera. The
opera was Mozart’s Don Giovanni (for
a synopsis of the story, see Part I).

It was a
good news/bad news sort of day. The good
news was that it was a good (not great) performance. The bad news was that the well-dressed
operagoer is fast becoming an endangered species. The good news is that there are still
a few shining examples of how to dress for the opera, even on a dismal, drizzly
day in New York.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

You
remember me telling you about my friend Sylvie, whom I met almost 30 years ago
when she worked as an au pair in New
Jersey? Based in Paris, Sylvie flies all
over the world for Air France. Over the
years, she has become a true parisienne
d’esprit, although her heart will always be in her native Provence. And, like a true parisienne, she can’t wait to get out of town from time to time.

If you’re
not involved in the fashion industry, there’s no better time to get the heck
out of Dodge than Fashion Week, which begins with Lucien Pellat Finet’s show
this Tuesday, the 27th, and ends with Miu Miu on Wednesday, the 5th.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Thursday,
September 22nd, is the official first day of fall, although Mother
Nature may have other ideas that have nothing to do with what it says on the
calendar. While we no longer adhere to
that old “No White after Labor Day” dictum our mothers lived by,

we do tend
to pack away those little white cotton dresses for next spring, which is a
shame, I think. While fall means warm,
vibrant colors, it’s a pity to leave cool, crisp white behind. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing a white
cotton dress as the temperature drops, there are great ways to take white with
you into fall and winter, and this is one of my favorites.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

September
is finally here and not a moment too soon for me. Of course, despite the oppressive heat, it
feels as if it’s been coming and coming and coming…….. Since the middle of summer my email In Box
has been filled to overflowing with skin care and makeup ads announcing the
next best, greatest breakthrough/must-have item that I positively cannot think
of facing the fall without…yadda, yadda, yadda.

Not to mention
the de rigueur tips and tricks from
celebrity makeup artists I’ve NEVER heard of touting the latest and greatest
tips and tricks, most of which I HAVE heard of (I’m hardly a newbie at this game.),
and their corner drugstore finds that will give you a cheap thrill.

Friday, August 19, 2016

The good
news is that the cool breezes of fall will soon be wafting my way bringing with
them everything I love about the season – the crisp air on my cheeks, the
comforting warmth of a wool sweater and the heavenly smell of sausage and
apples simmering on the stove.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

I spent
many years teaching French to adults and teaching American executives awaiting
transfer to France how to cope with the cultural differences they would face. One question always popped up more than any
other – “Do you think of yourself as more American or more French?”

It’s a
natural question to ask someone who is bilingual, bicultural and bi-national. In fact, it’s a question Yvan Jayne gets asked a lot.

In 1998, the
16-year-old Marseillais came to the United States to finish his studies and
fulfill his dream of becoming a champion Rodeo bareback-rider.

When I was a kid and the thermometer on the back porch shot past 90˚F, my British grandmother would say, “It’s hot
enough to make a girl want to sit around in her shimmy.” Sitting around in one’s shimmy was not
something a well-brought-up young lady did in my grandmother’s day, no matter
how hot it got.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The following post appeared three years ago, but bears reposting as I share some of my foolproof picnic tips. Everything is included for that perfect déjeuner ou dîner sur l'herbe, except the naked models. You'll have to supply those yourselves.

Déjeuner sur l'Herbe by Edouard Manet

For the last few weeks, skies have been sunny and the humidity close to nil; in other words -- perfect picnic weather.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

I remember
the crisp feel, the faint rustle it made when I ran and the way it always reminded
me of the blue and white checked tablecloth Mme Mère used for summer
picnics.Not too surprising, really,
since she made both from the same bolt of fabric.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Most little
girls dream about their wedding day and the beautiful, princess gown they will
wear, and as they pack it away after the big day, they dream about the day their
daughter will walk down the aisle in that dress. For Eileen Brell both dreams came true.

This is
Eileen’s vintage wedding gown on display at a May 20th fundraiser exhibit for District XI Pennsylvania Garden Clubs. Now, let’s go
back six decades to the beginning of the story of Eileen’s wedding dress.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Once upon a
time, before mirrors were invented by Venetian glassblowers in the 18th
Century, most people lived and died without ever knowing what
they looked like. I know, I know, there
are mornings when that would be a blessing.
And then, in the 19th Century, Louis-Jacques Mandé Daguerre
invented photography, and we ladies would never look upon ourselves in quite
the same way again.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Remember my post on the versatility of a brightly-colored spring skirt (see “Spring Skirts and French Apologies”)? They are one of the spring/summer essentials that should be in every woman’s closet.

Another spring/summer wardrobe essential is the floral day dress, and Uniglo, in collaboration with Liberty of London, known for its beautiful floral prints, has made the easy, breezy spring dress even easier and breezier by adding a built-in bra. Wow!! No more fretting over a bra strap slithering down your arm just when you are trying to look oh-so-chic and work your je ne sais quoi.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

It's time to revisit an oldie, but goody. The Post My Little White Tee originally appeared two years ago, but, with spring in full flower and summer beginning to bud, it's the perfect time to take another look at one of the hardest working wardrobe basics in your closet.

Among the hardest working pieces in a woman’s wardrobe, along with the perfect pair of jeans and the perfect LBD, is the perfect LWT – Little White Tee – especially in summer, when it becomes her favorite go-to piece.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Donald
Trump may know a thing or two about The Art
of the Deal, but the art of the scam has been around since man first
realized he could get rid of something he didn’t want or that was worthless by
tricking another man into taking it.

The Beautiful Rachel

In the Book of Genesis (first book of the Hebrew
Bible/Christian Old Testament), Laban tricks young Jacob into marrying the
wrong sister.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

I’ve been
on a little spring break since Easter. Not
the kind of spring break where you get drunk on cheap wine and run around naked
on the beach with people you wouldn’t be caught dead with fully dressed and
sober. That’s for students who have many
more springs ahead of them that they can afford to waste.

No, at my
age, each sip of spring is precious, and I can’t afford to waste a drop. Wait…..did I just say “at my age?” OMG, I swore I would never say that, and I’ve
been saying it more and more lately. Yikes!

O.K., this
is NOT where I was headed with this.I
wanted to talk about spring skirts – I’ll get to that.

Monday, March 21, 2016

In my
previous post, I linked to an interview I did for my hometown newspaper
entitled Finding Your Je ne Sais Quoi.
The interviewer, Anne Neborak, an
award-winning photojournalist, is also a former high school classmate of mine,
so we had fun working together and catching up on the intervening years.

In Finding Your Je ne Sais Quoi, I talked
about what I see as the difference between fashion and style and how I learned
from Mme Mère the importance of the little detail that adds a certain je ne sais quoi to a classic outfit.

I’m happy
to say that the interview generated a lot of positive feedback and some interesting
questions from my readers. Here are
three of my favorites:

Saturday, March 12, 2016

I recently
had the pleasure of being interviewed for my hometown newspaper, The Delaware County News, by a former
high school classmate, Anne Neborak.
Anne has gone on to a wonderful career as an award-winning
photojournalist.

After catching up with
our lives 46 years after graduation (YIKES!!) and marveling at the differences
between then and now, which are, to borrow one of Donald Trump’s favorite words
– “HUGE” – we got down to business.

Monday, March 7, 2016

In Paris
“March Madness” has everything to do with fashion and nothing to do with
sports, as in America. With only a day
or two left to go of La Semaine de la
Mode (March 1 to 9), the fashion shows in Paris have turned from
experimental to downright weird and wacky.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Well, Dear Readers,
I had every intention of catching you up on what’s been happening over the last
few weeks (the Blizzard, the Great Baguette Battle in New York, etc.), which I
promise to do soon, but, on Friday, a brief encounter with a young woman turned
a very good day into something special.So, I just had to share.But
first, a little background.

Saturday
was my birthday, and since February is the shortest month (Please, no jokes
about my 5’1” height, s’il vous plaît.),
I like to celebrate the entire month. I
think it’s only fair, don’t you?

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Inspiration: Something that makes someone want to do
something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create. (Merriam-Webster
definition)

New ideas
get me excited, and I don’t even have to do or create anything with them. Just the thought of thinking about old,
familiar things in new, unfamiliar ways makes my brain positively giddy. Sources of inspiration are all around us, if
we know where to look, but for me, the well-turned, finely honed phrase from a
gifted writer can make my day for many days and years to come.

The late
Florence King, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 80, was an
enduring source of inspiration in my life.